[free California workers' compensation resources]

This weekend I went to the Maker Faire. Having never been to a Maker Faire before, I described my expectations to a co-worker as it being a cross between the State Fair and the Exploratorium.[1] It was way better than that.

Art cars, robots, and all kinds of incredible stuff. Everything was made by ordinary people who would happily tell you exactly how they made everything you saw. I also got to see Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame.

The Pen Mercedes

A giant street legal Radio Flyer

A jeep covered in legos

A shark-truck

A cupcake tricycle

Bike powered rock music

A sideways piano

You are NOT a rock star

Giant metal wings that can be spun around

Two and a half R2D2’s

An autonomous tripod robot making circular drawings

Cardboard surfboards

Adam Savage of Mythbusters

The CandyFab 6000

Zack Smith, Bre Pettis, and Adam Mayer of Makerbot

Plastic stuff printed out before my eyes

The highlight was meeting the guys of MakerBot (Zack “Hoken” Smith, Bre Pettis, and Adam Mayer) and seeing their Cupcake CNC machine in action. These guys are real-life MacGyver’s and Scotty’s. [2]

Their Cupcake CNC is a computer controlled robot that builds a 3D object layer-by-layer using molten plastic. You can buy a kit or build one from the plans freely available on their site. Their robot is based upon the incredible work of the RepRap project. The things it can build are really only limited by your imagination.

I’ve never been to Burning Man, otherwise I would have included it in this hybrid description. [↩]